Deus Ex's re-entry into the gaming scene couldn't be more timely. In an era when the world's two biggest publishers trash talk each other's impending blockbuster shooters like adolescent schoolboys – games that will once again have us headshotting, fragging, and ducking for cover in a feedback loop of mind-numbing muscle memory - the last stand of the Eidos brand name in an unassuming Montreal studio reminds us all why first-person shooters were once the future. A future, much like that of Deus Ex's own fictional universe, that hasn't panned out quite as bountifully as initial discoveries and innovations had once promised. The dawn of the FPSRPG at the start of the last decade has resulted in very few followers over the last eleven years and only one major disciple in Ken Levine's Irrational Games studio. For such a critically acclaimed genre then, it remains a mystery why so few publishers have managed to wean themselves off the teat of lowest-common-denominator FPS gaming.
You see, Deus Ex: Human Revolution actually makes you think about what you're doing, and the resulting sensation is kind of like the end scene to Ninja Theory's Enslaved. It's as if you've suddenly been emancipated and realise that you were a wilful participant in your own servitude all along. You could almost kick yourself, couldn't you? Here's what you've been missing: first-person shooters that allow you to approach a problem in a way of your choosing, and not in the dual-pillar 'Assault or Stealth' approach favoured by the likes of Far Cry 2 either. Instead, it's crawling through air vents, hacking computers, modding guns, talking your way out of a tight spot (or into one), smashing through weakened walls to find a hidden weapons stash, jumping from a five-storey building and stealth-killing two guards upon landing, or unleashing hell with a gun turret that you've turned upon its owners.
It's all of the above, and then a whole lot more. The real icing on the cake, though, is that none of it is prescribed. You don't have to do any of those things; on almost any given objective facing you, you can choose a multitude of ways in which to complete your task – it's a bit like pick 'n' mix sweets, or bespoke tailoring. Fans of the series' two predecessors will of course know that this makes Human Revolution its father's son, and it's a testament to the brilliance of the original Deus Ex games that almost all of their ideas are loyally updated into Human Revolution's formula. This latest instalment doesn't so much reinvent the framework of what Deus Ex is as refine and contemporise what it was (another piece of music to the ears of hardcore fans, no doubt) but it's the ways in which it's all brought up-to-date that are so impressive.
Take the hacking, for example. Of the multitude of options by which protagonist, Adam Jensen can add 'Augmentations' to his cybernetic make-up, this one is perhaps the most in-depth of the lot with 16 different choices for augmentation in total. The hacking interface itself is incredibly detailed, so much so that you'll be totally confused by it for the first hour or so of gaming. Where the likes of BioShock and Timesplitters opted for a Pipe Mania blueprint in t
heir hacking mini-games, Human Revolution instead uses a system that convincingly depicts the actual process of hacking (who'd have thought it could be conceivably possible?!). There are nodes to capture and fortify, tracers to avoid detection from, uni- and bi-directional ports, nuke viruses to unleash, stop worms to slow down or halt detection, and even spam folders to negotiate. Not since Introversion's Uplink has there been this kind of detailed hacking in a video game, and that game was based entirely around hacking!
This kind of added depth and complexity to the upgrade tree can be seen across the board of augmentations. In fact, the full list is so all-encompassing that a few of them almost seem to take away from the gameplay in its naked form at times. Take, for example, the 'Social Enhancer' augmentation, which allows Jensen to sense what a character is thinking and predict which dialogue choice they'll respond most favourably to. The upshot is that you can reliably persuade other people around to your way of thinking. Without the perk though, key paths of dialogue become an engrossing challenge as you attempt to read the reactions of NPCs and select responses on a hunch. It's a credit to the dialogue system that the game is more enjoyable without the 'Social Enhancer' perk, even if your gift of the gab fails and the quest is made harder as a result. The same can be said for some of the stealth augmentations, which include the standard vision cones, sound sensors, and last known location indicators. Yes, they're all very helpful, but the stealth gameplay is so good that it just feels more palpable; more exciting when you play without using all the trinkets.
But it's not all enhancements and refinements to the classic Deus Ex formula. Seventh-generation gaming comes with a much higher bar in terms of production, and Human Revolution doesn't disappoint here either. Whether it's the slick cover system that moves between third and first-person perspectives seamlessly – offering semi-automated commando roles between objects – or the bronzed colour-palette of the game world, everything wreaks of high production values. What really hits home about Human Revolution is just how immersive it manages to be - we've never had so much fun reading capillaries of back-story in strewn e-books, or piecing together a minor character's life by hacking their e-mails. Beyond all of the superb gameplay, it's just damn good sci-fi at the end of the day. There's a genuinely engaging storyline that rarely falters throughout what can be a plentiful 20-hour playthrough (if you're particularly diligent), and it's all wrapped together through a variety of city hubs that reach up towards the Blade Runner echelon of vivid imaginings. Technically, the graphics won't be setting any new benchmarks, but in terms of how they depict the setting, few games manage to do a better job.
Deus Ex didn't come all of this way only to forget where it hailed from in the first place though. Touches of classic PC gaming pepper the experience (such as an old-school grid system for the inventory), ensuring that this is one legendary PC series that's managed to keep its head while all around it others are losing theirs. Truly, it's a hard game to fault... but inevitably it's not perfect. The AI is, well, astonishingly good actually for the type of game that Deus Ex is, but it's not faultless due to the odd glitch. Likewi
se, it being such an open-ended game, there are minor exploits to be taken advantage of here and there. Criticisms have also been made of the bosses (specifically that it's impossible to beat them without using violence) and we'll concede that some shots do need to be fired in anger. Nonetheless, there are stealthy way-rounds (very long and sometimes arduous ones, we'll admit) that allow you to defeat each boss with minimal violent actions. Loading screens also take some flak because they happen often and for long periods. All things considered then, why are we giving it a 10 if it's not perfect? Because it's the best FPS we've played in years, and that's enough.
Consistent with the Major Nelson leak a couple of days ago, SEGA has now confirmed that Sonic CD will be released across XBLA, PSN, PC, and mobile platforms this winter.
For any of our international readers who aren't up to speed with events in England over the past week, we've had some of the worst examples of rioting and looting in the country's history, culminating in over 1000 arrests and 600 criminal charges in the last few days alone.
Master. I've seen him in other projects and he's amazing! So him for sure... Monty Python was a huge influence for me as well. I grew up in London in the UK, so my friends and I were constantly acting out scenes from the show and getting ourselves into trouble with our school teachers. Many an hour spent in a hallway. You mentioned The Tick... yeah, I loved that show.... definitely one of the funniest animated series ever!
I've said it before and I'll say it again: the best console games of this generation aren't found in your local retailer at £50 a pop – they're on XBLA and PSN for a tenner each. We can debate the reasons why until Eric Chahi returns in another 13 years to make his next game, but the simple fact of the matter is that there's less financial risk involved in making a digi-download title. Less financial risk = more innovation, originality and gameplaying whimsy. If you tell a publisher's executives that you want $50 million of their money to make a game about intergalactic space monkeys, they'll laugh you out of the room and, if you're lucky, advise you to come back when you've got a good concept for an arcade racing game with power-ups. Tell them that you want a tiny fraction of that amount for your wacky project, though, and they might just listen for more than a few seconds. 
t that it uses what's effectively a strategy game UI (albeit a simplistic one), the lack of a mouse rarely holds the game back. On the contrary in fact, in some elements of the gameplay a thumbstick seems to lend itself well to the layout.
while the tasks are more specific too (e.g. keep all your villagers alive for a certain time, or reach a precarious or difficulty positioned 'Totem' etc.). Some are insanely difficult and will require many attempts but most are designed around stages that take under 5-10 minutes to run through, making the mode easy to dip in and out of – online rankings and leaderboards keep them addictive as well. All things considered, From Dust offers a similar number of gameplay hours to many full-price, triple-A games and it's more entertaining than most of them as well.
Following leaks from game testers at the end of last week, Valve has now officially announced Counter-Strike: Global Offensive for release in early 2012 on the PlayStation Network, Xbox Live Arcade, and Steam.
The computer systems journey on regardless, and upon discovering a suitable planet, the rickety ships crash land. The computers then reshape the world into a second Earth, but due to the damage sustained in the crash they create a land filled with beasts rather than people. Skip to 1,000 years later and a new species of 'Earthnoid' humans are picking up the pieces.
The combat is where Earth Seeker makes its boldest step, as instead of a hands-on approach, you pause the action mid-fight and select attacks from a menu - in a style not too dissimilar to Final Fantasy XII. The attacks depend on the weapon you're wielding, as short swords tend to favour multi-hit combos and somersault swings, while claymores offer torpedo dives and sundering slashes.
Indeed, you could almost accuse Earth Seeker of being Monster Hunter: Lite, but by diversifying the formula with RPG elements, Funamizu and his team have crafted a game that offers something eerily familiar yet undeniably different. 
Ergonomics aside, the core of Dual Pen pits your character against challengers in seven sporting events. A couple are undeniably fun, notably archery and skiing; others are merely okay. One - basketball - is a train wreck.
It waits, it watches, and it tucks away dialogue and situations recorded and designed for only the most extraordinary playthroughs. It makes you think that, yes, you were supposed to execute the hostages and stab your girlfriend's Mum in the street, smashed off your robo-tits on bad hooch. Eidos Montreal planned for that kind of maniac. They planned for everything.
Even in the linear levels between the city hubs you're given space to move and choices to make. It looks like a shooter and plays like a stealth game but Deus Ex is a proper RPG where you'll have to make real choices every time you walk through a door.
There are big choices - moments when conversation leads you towards an obvious branching path. In those moments you'll weigh up the options as if they really do count because those decisions will go on to define your next 30 hours of Alone Time. There are smaller choices to face, too - every room you enter makes you select between craftily hiding and sneaking or just good old running and gunning.
Mass Effect, Bioshock, Riddick and more have all had a good go, but Human Revolution is the first game to pick up exactly where Spector's team left off and to do almost everything better. Where Deus Ex's AI was dumb, Human Revolution's feels smart; where Deus Ex's combat was lightweight, Human Revolution's is angry and aggressive; where Deus Ex's stealth was clumsy, Human Revolution's is precise.
Check out the massive five page Deus Ex: Human Revolution review in issue 109 of the newly redesigned Xbox World, which goes on sale on September 1. Subscribe to get it delivered to your door before it hits the shelves.